Audiologists are qualified experts who are able to conduct hearing tests and to evaluate, diagnose and treat conditions related to hearing loss and balance issues.

In order to successfully and accurately evaluate whether you are experiencing hearing loss – and the type and extent of hearing loss that you may be experiencing – audiologists will conduct a range of different tests, some of which will involve listening to particular tones. Others may involve physical inspection of the air and evaluation of your ability to follow a moving light with your eyes.

For individuals who may be experiencing hearing loss, a visit to an audiologist’s office can be extremely beneficial, as audiologists have a variety of different approaches at their disposal for helping to address hearing loss effectively.

Whether you simply need to have your ears drained of wax or could benefit from being fitted with a sophisticated modern hearing aid, audiologists will be the people to talk to. Still – you may be wondering when you should actually make an appointment to see an audiologist. If so, here are some suggestions.

If You Are Experiencing Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a term used to refer to the experience of hearing an ongoing noise – usually a ringing, but sometimes also a buzz, hum or even a roar – when there is no external source of that noise present. While tinnitus can be caused, temporarily, by a wax build up in the ears and even by certain types of medication, the leading cause of tinnitus is hearing loss – with tinnitus occurring as your brain tries to fill in gaps in the sounds you are picking up from your environment.

If you are experiencing tinnitus – and particularly if it seems to be ongoing and is causing you to become concerned – you should book a visit with an audiologist. In addition to evaluating the state of your hearing, your audiologist may be able to help you to deal with your tinnitus.

If You Are Struggling to Follow Conversations and Are Becoming More Socially Withdrawn

One clear sign of hearing loss is an increased difficulty in following along with conversations – and an effect of this that sometimes occurs is that individuals who are experiencing hearing loss become more socially withdrawn, potentially without even noticing it.

If you’ve noticed that you are less outgoing than you previously were, and are having difficulty following along with conversations, a visit to your audiologist might help you to get to the bottom of things.

If Other People Have Commented on the Volume That You Listen to Music or the TV

Hearing loss often develops in a gradual way which can be difficult to notice day-by-day. If you are experiencing hearing loss, you may have been gradually increasing the volume on your TV over time without necessarily noticing it – only to have a relative or friend stop by and comment about how loud it is.

This kind of outsider perspective can help to shed light on undiagnosed and untreated hearing loss – so if you’ve been noticing people making these sorts of comments, you should certainly consider booking an appointment with an audiologist.